Terminal for pneumatic-despatch apparatus.



R. G. COLLINS, JR. TERMINAL FOR PNEUMATIC DESPATOH APPARATUS.

APPLICATION TILED APR. 28, 1913. 1,102,324.

Patented July 7, 1914.

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTOJJTHO" WASHINGTON. D. C

RODERICK G. COLLINS, an, 015 NEW YORK; N. Y.-

rERMiNAi: FOB PNEUMATIomEsrnToH amenities.

Speciflcati onof Letters Patent.

Patented July 7; 1914;

Application filed April 28,1;1913. Serial No. 764,139.

To allwlmm it may concern:

Be it known that LRODERTCK G. ConLINs;

Jr., a citizen of the'United States, residing at: New York cityyin the county of New York and Stateof New Yonlqhave invented new and useful Improvements in: Terminals for- Pneumatic Despatch Apparatus, of which the following'is a' specification:

This invention relates to an improvement in terminals for pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, and has for its purposethe simplificationof the manner of stopping the car in the terminal of the tube so that it will not pass therefrom with suohivelocityi or momentum that it might causedamage or injuryto other cars then upon tlie'reeeiving' table or possibly to employees. As the inventionzrelates only to this part: of the pneumatictube despatch apparatus, only so much thereof as is necessary toan understanding of this invention is illustrated in the drawing and hereinafter described. For an illustrationiof: one type ofcomplete pneumatic tube d espatch apparatus reference may he had to my application for Letters Patent for pneumatic despatchapparatus filedrMarch 29, 1912- ,Serial No. 7 57 ,523; althoughiobviously the pres ent: invention is useful as a terminal genorally and is so claimed. t

The invention resides" in the terminal hereinafterdescribed. That which is new is set forth in the' claims appended to the description. i

In the accompanying: draw ings -l igure 1 is 1 a 'longitudinalsectional r view of a terminal embodying this invention." Fig: 2i'is a cross sectionalview. Fi '.-;3is a; view similar to Fig. 1 showing the'movabl section adjusted radially outward"to permit passage of the carrier. Fig. 4 is a detail show ing an arrangement: of. air-cut-off-rgate.

In the saiddrawingrthe reference numeral 1 designates the terminal of a pneumatic despatoh tube within'which it is de signed that the carriers shall: come to rest, as before explained; The interior of the wallof this :tube converges toward'the exit end, providing-a passage of gradually re duced dimensions to constitute a mechanical brake for the carrier, the wheels whereof'engage the radially rigid converging wall untilmovement of the carrier-is arrested. The convergence or taper of the wall is very gradual and relatively: slight so that the movement of the car is gradually checked untihitcomes to a full stop; It is suliicient for the purposes of the inventionthat a segment onlyof the intorior'of the wall of the tube taper: Preferably as shown in the drawings, a'pli'lrality of arcs or'segmentsof the wall taper; as shown at2 and 3' of the draw ngs two scctions taper. In Figs. 1 and 21 these segments whiclrproduce the convergonce of. the ca trier-passage through the tube are diametrically opposite, one segment being movable and the other fixed orstationary. Itis essential after the car shall have'come to'rest as described that a passage therefor shall be'provided' that it may be ejected from the tube onto the receiving table, andforwthis purpose at least one of the sogmehts or arcs of the wall is made movable, Asshown, thosegment or are 2 atthebasefof the terminah is so made movable. In'Figs. 1 and 201 the drawing the partsrareshown in normal'position, for arresting'theinovement of 'the carrier, and in Fig: 3 inposition to permit thepassage of the carrier from thetermihal; or, when the terminal is used as a sendingterminal, to permit entrance of the; carrier to and passage throughthe' terminal: Inthe preferred embodiment'iof the invention shown in the drawingstho lnovable section is pivoted at one enthto the'tube", as at 4, isifree at the other end and worksiinaiwell or enlargement 5 of the terminal 1, withinwhich is disposed i suitable" means for elevating and rigidlyholding-the movable section or seetions into .position to arresta carrier and to allow said sections to assume normal positionl forvpassage of the carrier. As shown, thisimechanismconsists of a cam roll (5 arrangcd'rwithinthe well or enlargement 5 in cooperative"; relation with the free end of thermovablesection.

- As shown in: the drawings, Fig. 2, the

movable section 1 is provided with a runway 7 intended to accommodate the vertical traction wheel of a carrier, where thecarrier is provided with such, as in the dotted line illustration. The runway when necessary by reason ofthe nature of the carrier will be sufliciently wide toinsure alinemeut with said tractionywheel of the carrier. So far asobserved by-mein connection with ear-i riers provided with traction wheels, as is illustrated in my companion application for Letters Patentoxccutcd of even date and filed concurrently herewith, the line of 1 0 travel of said traction wheel does not deviate more than. a fraction of an inch, and, therefore, a runway which has one inch clearance will be suiiicient.

To guard against the possibility of shock as the carrier engages the converging wall passage, the terminal is so combined with the transmitting tube 9that it will yield slightly under pressure of the carrier. One means by which this may be accomplished is shown in the drawings, Fig. 1, wherein the terminal has yielding connection with the despatching tube by means of a series of bolts or the like 10 engaging flanges 11 with which the terminal and tube are provided, and combined with the said bolts and held in operative connection therewith by means of nuts or the like 12 are springs of sufiicient tension to normally hold the terminal in close contact with the tube as shown, but which will yield as the carrier meets the converging wall of the tube. Very slight yield of the terminal is suilicient for this purpose.

To preserve the proper relative position of the terminal with relation to the tube and the carriers passing .therethrough, that is to say so that when the movable section of the terminal is provided with a runway 7, the latter may be in position to receive the traction wheel of the carrier, suitable guides are provided such, for example, as shown in the drawing wherein 13 designates an annular flange of the terminal fitting into a corresponding recess 14 in the end of the tube, and, obviously, the connection may be suitably packed to be air tight. 7 The discharge end of the terminal is provided with a gate 15 which, preferably, and as shown, is arrangedto be manually opened and closed,

and the purpose of which is to confine, theair when the terminal is to be used as a blast despatch terminal.

I prefer, although this is not essential in respect of the broader character of the inven-. tion, to provide .111 connection wlth the movable section of the terminal tube a positive stop or guard, one suitable arrangement of which consists of a dog 16, the head of which is pivotally disposed in an openingl'i' at the free end of the movable section and the tail of which rides through and bears against the wall of a guide 18, so that when the free end of the section is moved to restrict the carrier passage and arrest the carrier in the tube, the nose of this dog will be projected inwardly beyond the plane of the surface ofthe movable section into the path of the carrier and positively arrest movement of the same. This positive stop may be utilized with safety as when the carrier shall have arrived at the same, if it have any movement it will be so slight that no appreciable shock will result by absolute positive stoppage thereof. Conversely, when the movable section is moved to normalposition for passage of the carrier the nose of the dog will automatically withdraw into a plane flush with the surface of the movable section.

The movable section may be suitably opera-ted manually, and to this the invention is not restricted, one suitable way being by means of a sufliciently weighted arm'20 connected to the shaft 21 of the cam roll 6, which weighted arm maintains, through the cam roll, the movable section in the normal position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and returns the same after the operation of discharging a carrier from the terminal or introducing one thereinto when the terminal is used as a sending terminal.

The present invention does not relate to the manner of ejecting the carrier from the terminal nor for despatching the same through the terminal into the transmitting tube 9, and any suitable means may be employed to perform these functions, and one means is shown in my before-mentioned application Serial No. 757523, which is herein conventionally shown.

a designates a gate arranged in the terminal and which may be closed after the carrier has cometo rest.

b designates a compressed air cond uit from a tank 0 and communicating with the terminal intermediate the gate and the position of rest of the carrier, so that when it is desired to deliver the carrier from the terminal the gate a is closed, the gate 15 opened, the movable section of the terminal wall adjusted to the position illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, and the valve (1 opened to admit-pressure to the terminal for moving the carrier from the terminal onto a suitable receiving table not shown.

When the terminal is used as a despatch ing terminal by blast, the conduit 0 has a branch 0' near the receiving end of the terminal controlled by'a valve 6, so that pressure may be introduced behind the carrier to transport the latter through the terminal to the despatching tube 9 where it is taken care of by suitable despatching apparatus. Having thus described my invention, what is claimed is 1. A terminal for pneumatic despatch apparatus yieldingly connected to the despatch tube and having a converging or restricted radially rigid interior for arresting movement of a carrier.

2. A terminal for penumatic despatch apparatus longitudinally yieldingly connected to the despatch tube and having a gradually converging or restricted interior for arresting movement of a carrier;

3. A terminal for pneumatic despatch apparatus yieldingly connected to the despatch tube and provided with a movable section arranged to be projected into the path of a carrier for arresting the latter, and means for rigidly holding said section in such position.

t. A terminal for pneumatic clespatch apparatus yieldingly connected to the despatch tube and provided with a section pivoted at one end and the other end free to be projected into the path of a carrier for arresting the latter, and means for rigidly holding said section in such position.

5. I n combination with the despatch tube of a pneumatic despatch apparatus, a terminal longitudinally yieldingly connected to said tube and the wall of which is provided with a section pivoted at one end and the other end of which is free to be projected into the path of a carrier for arresting the latter,

and means for rigidly holding said section in such position.

6. A terminal for pneumatic despatch apparatus provided with a section pivoted at one end and the other end free to be projected into the path of a carrier for arresting the latter, and an auxiliary stop cooperatively combined with and operated by said movable section.

7. In combination with the despatch tube of a pneumatic despatch apparatus, a terminal yieldingly connected thereto and the wall of which is provided with a section pivoted at one end and free at its other end to be projected into the path of a carrier for arresting the latter, and an auxiliary stop cooperatively combined with and operated by said movable section.

ing the nose of said dog inwardly beyond the plane of the surface of the movable section when the latter is moved inwardly and for also disposing said nose of the dog flush with the surface of said section when the latter moved outwardly.

9. In combination with the despatch tube of a pneumatic despatch apparatus, a terminal tube yieldingly connected therewith and provided with a section pivoted at one end and the other end free to be projected into the path of a carrier for arresting the latter, a dog pivotally carried by said movable section, and means for projecting; the nose of said dog inwardly beyond the plane of the surface of the movable section when the latter is moved inwardly and for also disposing said nose of the dog flush with the surface of said section when the latter is moved outwardly.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesscs.

RODERICK G. COLLINS, JR.

\Vitnesses Gnn'rannn M. S'rUoKnn, C. H. Fnsnmn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G." 

